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Townsend man released on $3G bail after murder-try charges

By Katina Caraganis, kcaraganis@sentinelandenterprise.com

Updated:
05/03/2013 06:35:19 AM EDT

TOWNSEND -- A man who allegedly threatened to light his girlfriend on fire after a fight was released on $3,000 bail and ordered to stay away from her after his dangerousness hearing Tuesday in Ayer District Court.

Joseph Fanciullo, of 9 School St., Townsend, was ordered to stay away from the victim, remain employed, live with a relative in Tewksbury, not be in possession of a firearm and remain drug- and alcohol-free.

He was arraigned last week on charges of attempted murder, four counts of assault and battery with a dangerous weapon, intimidating a witness, assault and battery and threat to commit a crime. He is due back in court on this charge June 25.

Fanciullo was arrested last week in Townsend after his live-in girlfriend told officers he kicked, punched and choked her before threatening to kill her by pouring gasoline on her and lighting her on fire.

The victim said she and Fanciullo were in the kitchen of their home when he allegedly began to attack her by smashing her head off the refrigerator, the wall and floor.

Fanciullo then allegedly told her to wash up because her head was bleeding and there was blood all over the kitchen, according to a police report filed by Officer Kimberly Mattson.

He walked outside to the home's garage and she eventually followed, she told officers. She said she told Fanciullo she wanted to go to the emergency room and he began to hit her on the other side of her head and ear, cutting it.

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She told police the attack started in front of the garage and ended at the back, and she "thought that was it and she'd never get back out that door," according to the police report.

Fanciullo allegedly threw her around the garage and beat her until they reached the back of the garage, she said. He began to pull her hair and then held a gas can with a lighter over her head and she thought he was going to kill her.

When she was released from the hospital, she went to the station and told officers Fanciullo had more than $80,000 in the bank and that he has told her multiple times that he was going to try and go to the Dominican Republic.

She also said he has two passports and she thought he was going to try and leave the country.

The victim also said that while in the garage, he kicked her with his shoes on and choked her for at least 30 seconds. He also allegedly pinched her nose and put his hands over her mouth.

She also alleges that while she was screaming, he said neighbors better not call the police and that he looked "psychotic, raged and scary," according to the police report.

She said the abuse had been going on for years, but she never had the courage to report it. Her son was home at the time of the most recent case, but was sleeping, she said.

The victim also alleged Fanciullo controlled her every day and she's not allowed to have friends.

She alleges that whenever she tried to change her phone number, he would look through her telephone and send nasty messages to anyone she was talking to.

Fanciullo also has a pending drug charge against him from 2011 that is about to go to a jury trial.

Townsend police were notified by employees at the Central Massachusetts Processing and Distribution Center in Shrewsbury that a suspicious package had appeared. The package was being shipped via Express Mail to Fanciullo.

The package, described as 8 pounds, 2 ounces, drew attention because it was bulging from the sides and showed other bizarre characteristics, including a waiver of a signature and different labels underneath the Express Mail label.

While the package was being examined by postal employees, a strong odor of marijuana was emitted. A police K-9 dog was brought in and it detected narcotics.

A search warrant was executed at Fanciullo's home and he was transported to the police station for questioning. He told officers he had been receiving marijuana in the mail on a couple of occasions and would transport it to Leominster, where he would sell the drugs to an unknown male for $16,000.

He said he keeps a couple hundred dollars and the rest of the money would be shipped to the California address on the label.

When officers searched the residence, they found approximately 7 pounds of marijuana, some of which was packaged in 1-pound increments to be sold.

Fanciullo's jury trial on the drug charge is expected to begin in July.

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